


And This Train Has No Brakes

by TheTiredGeneticist



Series: Healing [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: -amused Irish noises-, -angry British noises-, -frustrated French noises-, Amelie's Dad being a soggy croissant, Domestic Bliss, Emily Queen of Puns, Emily does fostering, F/F, Family Trouble, Kittens, Last Minute Christmas Shopping, Lazy breakfasts, Lena burrito, Lena is a dirty girl, Lena is gonna sock 'im right in the gob, Lena likes being the jetpack, Let Amélie say FUCK 2k19, MY GIRLS ARE BACK, Multi, No Amélie we can't keep them all, Not Like That, Punching of innocent walls, Snow, The healing continues, Watching Movies Together, bonding over teasing Lena, cooking together, enough gay energy to power a small country, get out me chateau, getting that one kitten off of the chandelier together, going on long walks together, her mom is more of a bagel, long may she reign, more couch cuddles, mutual pining because their girlfriend is away, navigating a polyamorous relationship, not exactly homophobic parents, renovation AU that just kind of happened, sassy pan Emily is pan, so many kittens, swears on her mum, the three munchketeers, theyre just old fashioned and jerks, this time with kisses, tiny gay Tracer is gay, toll bi Widowmaker is bi, yeeting of innocent phones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-04-11 14:33:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19111654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTiredGeneticist/pseuds/TheTiredGeneticist
Summary: A month has passed since everything happened. Since Amélie nearly lost Lena, since she confessed her feelings, and they began what was turning out to be the happiest relationship of Amelie's life. With Lena's first girlfriend on her way, Amélie is about to begin a new chapter in her life, one of healing, one of joy, and most importantly, one of love.





	1. Something Ginger This Way Comes

Amélie often looked back at how completely and utterly _domestic_ her life had become, and found it equal parts _satisfying_ and _irritating_. When she woke up on a bad day, gloomy and tired and more than a bit short tempered, she found it discouraging that she had been a successful ballerina, and was reduced to _this_. A woman who could never dance or even walk perfectly normal again. Ever since she had forced herself to go beyond her limit, the brace had not come off except to sleep. Angela was optimistic, but Amélie was less so.

Most of the time, thankfully, she was immensely _grateful_ for the events that led up to her current situation, bundled up on the sitting room sofa and sipping on some tea that Lena kept refilling for her. The inevitable cold Lena had come down with after the incident had sunk its claws into Amélie at the very last moment, Lena recovering completely right as her lover came down with a just as bad if not _worse_ cold, so now she enjoyed the same treatment she had provided for Lena. Sitting and binge watching television shows while her tiny girlfriend busied herself with the day's painting duty was rather nice, especially when Lena kept sneaking up on her to give her affectionate pecks on the cheek that only _sometimes_ left a smear of paint behind. Lena was dividing her time between renovation, caring for her girlfriend, and repainting her old bedroom. After everything that had happened she had asked to turn that guest bedroom into something else, so she could keep using it. When Amélie suggested an art studio it hadn't taken much convincing. The bed was already gone, the remaining furniture moved to other bedrooms until they had a need for them. The currently empty room was about half repainted a plain white so Lena could transfer some of her work onto the walls themselves. It had been Amélie's idea, funnily enough. While she hated seeing the walls of her family home covered in anything, she also wanted Lena to have a room that was _entirely_ hers to do with as she pleased.

When Lena plopped down on the sofa with a soft groan the former dancer didn't hesitate to offer her part of her blanket. When she had protested Lena's intention to be her caretaker, back when she first got sick, Lena had simply stated, "It's ok! I'm _immune_ now!" before refusing to hear any of Amélie's feeble arguments. She hadn't gotten sick thus far, but Amélie fretted nevertheless. Almost losing Lena _twice_ in a month was more than enough for one lifetime. When they had called Angela and she had gotten a good look at Lena, the first thing she did was _smack_ Amélie upside the head for letting it happen. The second thing she did was _apologize_ after Lena explained everything weakly, her voice still shredded. The third thing she did was let them know that she was going away to visit old friends, and would be gone for quite a while. She left them a phone number for the local pharmacy and instructed Amélie to get cold medication if Lena ended up getting sick, then left, after congratulating them on their new relationship.

Lena nuzzled her nose against Amélie's neck, leaning on her shoulder as the older woman unpaused what she was watching. It wasn't something Lena was interested in, but she watched nevertheless. Her sleep schedule had been all over the place ever since she called Emily for the first time in months, due to a mixture of nerves, excitement, and an increased motivation to help get more of the renovations done, especially with Amélie being on the mend.

"So, Emily's coming on Friday."

Amélie tucked a loose bit of blue hair behind Lena's ear, " _Oui_ , you told me when I woke up. And when I came downstairs. And when I was eating breakfast. And every other time you've come to check on me. And...."

Lena swatted her leg playfully, feigning annoyance before sticking out her tongue at the older woman, " _Oi_! I'm not _that_ worried!" Amélie could hear the grin on her face as she turned down the volume on the television, and then switched to one of Lena's favourite movies. The two women rarely ever saw eye to eye when it came to movies, but there was one particular collection that they both agreed were a favourite. While the gore and action scenes were at times a bit intense for Amelie's tastes, The Hobbit had grown on her with its _beautiful_ landscapes and lovely soundtrack. It was the perfect movie to enjoy with Lena, and she had gotten used to being lulled to sleep by the music.

"I told you about the kittens right?"

"Yes, you told me. We cleared out a room remember?"

Amélie had been somewhat surprised to learn that Emily worked a full time job while _also_ fostering. It was something she was hearing more and more about, as it had spiked in popularity recently. That was completely understandable in her opinion, considering there were _baby animals_ involved. Emily, according to Lena, worked from home as a freelance illustrator and tattoo artist. It made sense that she and Lena had hit it off so well with their shared interest in the arts.

"Two days then."

"Two days."

 _Silence_. Amélie ran her fingers through messy blue spikes as Lena settled against her even more, if that was possible, occasionally giving the bluenette's scalp a pleasing little scratch that made Lena wiggle happily. She enjoyed moments like this, when she could just enjoy Lena's presence. The girl had been all over the place since Emily finally texted her, letting her know she could come and see her. She had been reluctant to uproot and move everything she had, especially since Lena hadn't told her just where she was being invited to, besides the address, and that it was in France, instead responding that there was _plenty_ of room. Once she had received the news she had begun putting nearly all of her effort into the repainting, much to Amélie's _dismay_. Lena was the most active when Amélie just wanted to _cuddle_ her.

"I should get back to work." Lena started to sit up, but Amélie was having none of it. Lena let out a startled squeak when her girlfriend pulled her back down, simultaneously rearranging her position so Lena was lying on top of her. " _Non_ , you have been out of reach all day, you will not escape that easily." She hummed as she cupped Lena's slightly paint-stained face in her hands.

Any protest Lena may have been preparing to say cut off when Amélie pulled her down for a lazy kiss, which the smaller woman happily returned. "I haven't been able to get you to sit still all month." The former dancer mumbled as Lena pressed their foreheads together and grinned at her, "if ya just wanted a cuddle and a snog you coulda just _asked_ , love." Lena fired back with a cheeky grin, until Amélie _thoroughly_ kissed it off of her face. She had become a crucial part of Amelie's life, she couldn't _imagine_ being without Lena.

Just two months ago Lena had been a stranger, a nameless woman who ended up in the right place at the right time, passed out on Amelie's shoulder on the subway at midnight. She had only brought Lena to the chateau out of pity, hoping to at least put her up for the night and take her home or to a hospital come morning. Lena had simply never left, every tiny milestone and smile bringing her closer to the frenchwoman's heart until everything abruptly shifted.

It had been a month since Lena had nearly _died_ , a month since Amélie confessed everything and they had finally slept in the same bed as proper girlfriends and not because Amélie _kept_ falling asleep in Lena's room. Not much had changed, surprisingly. Lena was tactile as ever, a hand on Amelie's back or arm, holding hands whenever they went for walks outside or watched movies, and simply leaning on her girlfriend's shoulder were normal. The added surprise kisses on the cheek or jaw, the hugs from behind while she cooked -more often than not resulting in Amélie having to drag Lena around the kitchen when she refused to let go-, and waking up to Lena wrapped around her like an octopus had been a bit much at first, but Amélie quickly decided that she _enjoyed_ the affection Lena seemed to show her constantly. They began to sleep together in the master bedroom, once Lena had agreed to renovating her old room, but besides that, not much had changed. Lena had _never_ been shy about showing her affection even _before_ Amélie confessed, so moving to the next stage seemed to be the right choice. The only thing that would _definitely_ herald change was the arrival of their(?) _other_ girlfriend. A third person in a relationship that Amélie was comfortable in, and while she was nervous, she was looking forward to it.

Emily had been with Lena since they were in high school, according to the bluenette. They were together until a year prior, when Lena had gotten into a dark place and, rather than end their relationship, Emily let her go searching for what she felt was missing. Lena's fears that Emily would be angry with her lack of contact were completely unfounded and they had been in contact almost every day since Lena's first call. When asked, Lena explained that she didn't want Emily to meet her until they were face to face. Something about her cheeky grin and the _mischievous_ sparkle in her eyes gave the former dancer the distinct impression that Emily wouldn't be as inclined to voice concerns if she wasn't prepared or caught off guard. She wasn't sure if Lena was innocently trying to surprise Emily or if she was an evil genius who knew that her girlfriend would be unable to resist the combination of tiny, energetic Brit and tall, intimidating but also _devastatingly_ gorgeous Frenchwoman.

 _Two days_. Amélie's mind kept wandering back to the date as Lena snored against her chest, the end credits of The Hobbit rolling. It was only just past four, the sun was setting, but Amélie was content to remain there, gently rubbing one hand in circles against Lena's back, while the other continued to gently scratch against her scalp at the base of her skull, which had been what soothed her to sleep in the first place. They could have a late supper, there were leftovers in the fridge from pasta night the day before. If Amélie managed to keep Lena from running off to resume painting they could watch the next movie in the trilogy together. They'd _probably_ fall asleep on the couch and Amélie would wake up with a stiff neck the next morning. She couldn't wait. This was about to be the beginning of a new chapter in her life, one that she would have never had without Lena. _She couldn't wait for it to start._

 

 


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily's arrival marks the start of a new chapter, and Amélie makes some new friends. Very little friends. 
> 
> Or
> 
> Amelie's journey to becoming a crazy cat lady has begun.

"I'm serious Em, just look for the big black car!"

Amélie glanced over at Lena from her spot by the fire, sipping some tea while the younger woman tried her best not to laugh. "I _promise_ I'm not pulling a prank on you Emmers, look for the fanciest car in the lot! The driver's name is Charles, he knows what you look like so-you found it? _Great_! He's gonna drive you up to the house!" Lena had been practically _vibrating_ from the moment she woke up at three in the morning, much to her girlfriend's frustration. It was hard to enjoy being the big spoon when the smaller one kept _squirming_. While Lena took off the moment she was freed, Amélie managed a few more hours of sleep before getting up to make breakfast. Lena was a mixture of excited and nervous, checking the time and sitting at the window like a small child waiting for their friend to come over. Amélie was barely able to tear the girl away from her spot long enough to get some scrambled eggs into her.

"The kittens needed to spend a bit of time in customs but she's coming!"

Amélie hummed in reply, enjoying the warmth of the fire. It had become a habit lately, ignoring the sofa and instead stretching out on the bearskin rug to get closer to the warmth. Now that she had recovered from her cold, she didn't need to sit so close, she did it for the warmth now more than anything else. She tried her best not to doze off as Lena fidgeted at the window. Her excitement and nerves were hard to pay attention to when she was so warm and comfortable.

The snow had made the trip into town take a bit longer than usual, so she wasn't surprised when she heard the sound of a car pulling up to the house almost ten minutes later than usual. Lena leapt up with a squeak of joy and excitement, almost tripping over her own feet on her way to the door. Amélie followed, once she had torn herself away from the fire. It was only fitting that the owner of the chateau be there to greet her guest, after all.

Lena had already made it to the door by the time she had gotten up, and she heard a lilting, "Why so blue, bluebird?" followed by Lena's overjoyed _squeal_ as she turned the corner to the main entryway. Lena was hugging onto the redhead in the door with all of her might while also trying not to knock her over.

" _Oof_ , I missed you too, Sweet. You didn't tell me you were living in a _mansion_! Are you sure this isn't an elaborate prank?" Emily was Irish, then. Her voice was lovely and lilting, it made sense that Lena was hopelessly _smitten_ with her. "Let me take my coat off darling, so I can greet you properly."

Lena was reluctant to let go, but between the redhead's coat and the large carrier in one hand she had to release her girlfriend. Amélie leaned against the wall casually as she watched Lena show Emily where to put her coat and boots, a small smile growing on her face as they embraced again, this time with no thick coat in the way. Lena buried her face in Emily's neck with a happy sigh, as the redhead returned the hug just as fiercely. She was just a bit taller than Lena, with noticeably paler skin, considerably more freckles, and long fiery hair that was arranged into a messy braid. If Lena was the shy one and Amélie was the cool and calm one, Emily was the _fire_.

"Look at you, you _actually_ went and dyed it blue, silly girl." Emily was playing with Lena's messy blue spikes with a fond smile, mossy green eyes _warm_ with gentle affection. Lena was soaking up the affection like a sponge, still trembling with restrained energy as she tried to remain still. It was heartwarming to see the two women reuniting after a year apart, and Amélie was content to remain silent so they could have their moment.

When Lena noticed her she excitedly gestured for her to come, _bouncing_ a little bit when the taller woman leisurely pushed herself off of the wall and padded towards them. When Emily was finally content with looking her girlfriend over she turned to give Amélie her full attention. When the redhead very obviously began giving her a once over, it was clear why Lena chose her. The woman wore her opinions on the outside unlike most other people, which made the obvious interest impossible to miss. She carried herself with _confidence_ , the complete opposite of Lena. It seemed that opposites indeed attracted.

“Aren’t you the second most gorgeous bird I’ve ever met. Emily Walsh, pleased to meet you.” Amélie accepted the offered handshake with a smirk. “Amélie Lacroix, the pleasure is all mine. Lena hasn’t stopped talking about you since she called a month ago.” She felt a surge of satisfaction when Emily’s eyes _widened_ slightly as she spoke, pupils expanding visibly. The faint blush on her cheeks made it clear that Emily most definitely liked what she saw.

“Hell, Lena, you told me she was gorgeous, not that she was a _French goddess_!” Lena giggled in response behind her, “ _Right_!?”

 _Oh these two were too much. Amélie_ loved _it._

“Emily I wanna see the babies!” Lena interrupted her train of thought before it got going, diverting her attention to the carrier on the floor, and the quiet mewling inside it. "We set up a room for 'em last week! We got toys, litter, _everything_!" Lena was babbling happily as Emily picked the carrier up again, watching her girlfriend going on and on with a fond smile. "Lead the way then, bluebird."

Amélie had not had the privilege of having a pet when she was a child, her mother was allergic and her father's strict rules _forbade_ it. She had grown up wishing for a pet, even if it had to be something she couldn't touch, like a goldfish, but she had never gotten her wish. It had been one of the things that stoked the _resentment_ she felt for her parents, amongst other things. The thought of having a small, fluffy kitten now, one that she could hold and play with and love without reprimand made her feel a mixture of excitement and worry. As much as she desired a pet, she had no idea what to do, or how to go about caring for it.

The room she and Lena had cleared out and prepared was originally an extension of the sitting room, meant to hold party guests when there was no more room in the original sitting room. It was one of the larger rooms in the chateau, perfect for a litter of energetic kittens. Emily seemed to agree, once she had finished looking around the large space in _disbelief_.

"It's perfect innit? Plenty of room for the babies to run around!" Lena said proudly as she dropped to her knees beside the carrier to coo at the little ones inside. Amélie was more careful as she lowered herself down, settling as she nodded in agreement. "It'll look even better once all the things Amélie impulse bought are delivered! She basically bought a whole store." Lena only stuck her tongue out at the Frenchwoman when she got a raised eyebrow in response. "This is a big room, Lena, and you know I never do _anything_ in half measure." Lena gave her a raised eyebrow of her own, which was nowhere near as effective but still too adorable to go unappreciated. "Amé, I saw some _huge_ cat trees on that website, this room's gonna be a bloody _cat jungle_."

Emily, meanwhile, had set the carrier down and was unlatching it to open the door. As if sensing their imminent freedom the tiny mewls turned into demanding wails. "They're a month old so their eyes and ears are open, but they're still a bit wobbly. They're shy too, so don't be disappointed if they're terrified."

Amélie nodded, and Lena was too busy cooing to pay attention. Emily lowered the door and sat cross legged next to the carrier. Once Lena had sat down too, trying her best to keep quiet, they got their first look at the carrier's inhabitants.

The first kitten to emerge didn't step out so much as _tumble_ out, tripping on the rim of the carrier and rolling out onto the floor spread eagled with all the grace of a drunken potato. Lena immediately dissolved into poorly stifled giggles, as the kitten sat back up looking utterly _bewildered_ as to how it had gotten so far from the carrier. "Three of them are munchkins, the rest are Maine Coons. The mothers were both feral, so they are a bit skittish. The munchkins are a bit more friendly." Emily explained as the little ball of fluff looked around, fur fluffed up from a mixture of startlement and fear.

"This one's one of the munchkins. The other two are female, this is the boy."

The kitten was a soft grey, with darker paws, tail, and a darker muzzle. Bright blue eyes eventually settled on Amélie, and he got to his feet, before beginning to slowly, cautiously, and very _unsteadily_ waddle over to her, tiny tail straight up in the air like a little waving traffic cone.

"Well _damn_ , they weren't nearly as approachable this morning." Emily sounded amused and a bit surprised as the munchkin sniffed at Amelie's leg, before attempting to climb up, succeeding after a few attempts and once he realized his claws were a huge help. "The munchkins have to try a bit harder to climb things, they've got shorter legs. Like wiener dogs, except they're cats." The redhead explained as Amélie let the small kitten sniff her hand before giving him a gentle scratch behind the ears.

Once the first kitten had made it clear that it was safe, the rest of the kittens began to poke their heads out, blinking after so much time spent in the carrier. The second kitten to emerge fully was another munchkin, with a bright pink nose, calico patterns and mismatched eyes, one teal and one blue. The third was less a kitten and more a ball of black fluff with bright blue eyes and, evidently, a _very_ bad temper. "The only one I've named so far. _Lucifer_ was perfect, so I went with it." Emily explained with a chuckle as the aptly named Lucifer hissed at Lena, swatting at her hand with tiny claws.

The fourth kitten to emerge was the last of the munchkins, who bolted to join her siblings the moment her paws hit the floor. The calico had just finished clambering up onto Amélie's leg alongside the male, and the third didn't hesitate to scramble across the floor towards them, fur fluffed out in panic.

"Aw, they _love_ you! How's it feel to be a mum Amé?" Lena cooed as the three munchkin kittens piled into the former dancer's lap. Amélie was too busy watching the male chewing on one of her fingers with a mixture of awe and _adoration_ , she didn't even seem to hear Lena speak.

"Yeah, she's _doomed_."

~

"So how did you meet Lena? I know that you two are high school sweethearts from what she has told me." Amélie was lounging on the bearskin rug again, watching as Emily ran her fingers through Lena's hair. They had spent the majority of the afternoon in the kitten room, trying out all of the toys Amélie had ready. While the munchkins were still a bit too wobbly to chase anything they were more than happy to bat at any toy that came close to their spot on the former dancer's lap. The five other kittens had been more interested in exploring, tottering off on unsteady legs to investigate every corner of the new space. Once they had tired themselves out the five more adventurous kittens had fallen asleep in a pile, and while Amélie would have preferred to let the munchkins sleep with the others, they didn't seem to like the idea. The moment she placed them on the floor they began to voice their complaints, until she had caved and brought them out to the sitting room with her. They were sleeping contentedly on the rug next to her, in a pile of mismatched fur. Once they had eaten they had gone to sleep without a fight. Amélie gently smoothed down the male's fur as she listened to Emily.

"We've known each other since the beginning of high school. I moved to King's Row with my aunt and met Lena during Chemistry class." Emily recalled with a fond smile, before adding, "she was asleep in the back row." With a smirk. "When class ended she didn't wake up so I had to shake her awake. The rest is history. She followed me around like a puppy for the rest of the year, and after summer vacation we started dating."

Amélie looked up from petting the calico, Athena, her brow furrowing in mild confusion. " _After_? Did you not see her _during_ your break?"

Her confusion was replaced with concern as Emily sighed heavily, her smile weakening a bit. "No, we didn't. She kept making excuses for not being able to meet up. She told me later on what her real reason was, but I'd like her to tell you. Wouldn't be right for me to do it. It's very personal."

Amélie didn't like the sound of that at all, but she nodded slowly in agreement as Emily continued, "We moved into an apartment together after high school and I got into illustration. Lena eventually decided to join the military and she ended up being a pilot. She _loved_ flying, it was one of her favourite things to do. She had her accident three years ago, it hit her pretty hard. She could still fly, technically, but she couldn't serve anymore. She ended up giving it up for a few reasons. She was ok until a year ago, when she just, well, she _stopped_. Like someone hit the pause button. She hit a brick wall. When I asked her about it she said that she felt " _incomplete_ ". I told her to go find someone to make her feel whole again, and I heard from her again a month ago, and she told me all about meeting you." Emily finished with a contented sigh, leaning back into the couch as Lena began to stir.

"Tired? Lena can help you pick out a bedroom, if you want to rest."

Lena sat up, looking mildly mutinous. "Does that mean I gotta _choose_?" She groaned, clearly not enjoying the idea. Amélie pretended not to see the little eye roll Emily gave her, instead sitting up and gently gathering the munchkins into her arms. "Lena, you should spent the night with Emily. Once we get to know each other, perhaps you won't need to choose, non? I'll put these three back and go up as well, this has been an eventful day." Lena didn't look very happy with the arrangement but she sighed and conceded, letting Emily pull her to her feet and leading the redhead upstairs to show her where the bathroom was and what bedrooms were ready for use.

Amélie laid the three kittens with the others, thankfully without waking them, and she padded upstairs, more than ready to turn in for the night. The day, while enjoyable, had taken a lot out of her. She changed into something more comfortable while she waited for her turn to use the bathroom, something that would survive a midnight run in with either Lena or Emily with her dignity still intact. Settling on some soft pyjama pants and a loose tank top she made her way to the bathroom to wait, having long ago decided that making a trip to the downstairs washroom wasn't worth the effort.

Emily gave her a gentle smile when she finished with the washroom, kind and understanding. "I know you're probably exhausted, but do you mind if I have a quick word?" She sounded a lot more soft spoken than before, as though she were treading more _carefully_.

"Of course. Would it be alright if I get ready first?" Amélie replied, feeling more than a bit relieved when the redhead nodded in agreement and stepped aside, leaning on the wall to wait. Amélie got ready as quickly as she could, brushing her teeth, putting her hair into a braid as she always did before bed, and slipping her brace off. She preferred to leave it in the bathroom instead of her bedroom, to avoid the frustration of seeing it the moment she opened her eyes. It was a reminder she preferred to avoid.

She didn't miss the way Emily's gaze dropped to her leg the moment she emerged from the washroom, catching her now-obvious limp with no small amount of _concern_. "We have a lot to catch up on, don't we?“ was all she said. No inquiries, to Amelie's relief. " _Oui_ , we do, but you wanted to talk, _non_?" Amélie responded, leaning on the wall next to the redhead to take some pressure off of her injury.

She didn't expect Emily to _fidget_ , of all things. She came across as a confident and outgoing person, seeing her look nervous and for whatever reason, _shy_ , was not what Amélie had been expecting.

"I... just wanted to thank you. For taking care of Lena. For being there for her. She's got a heart of gold but she trusts too easily, and I was worried she'd get hurt. It's happened before. I can see that you genuinely care for her now, though. So thank you. I don't know how to thank you enough for keeping her safe."

Amélie wasn't prepared for such a heartfelt show of gratitude. She hadn't expected Emily to fully trust her, not at all. Had she been in Emily's position she would have been more than a little suspicious if Lena had introduced her to a stranger out of the blue.

"It's no trouble. Lena is an _amazing_ woman and she's lucky to have someone who loves her so dearly."

Emily nodded in agreement, smiling softly as Amélie stumbled over her words just a little. "She's lucky that you decided to kidnap her for her own good, too. You're pretty amazing yourself."

It made the former dancer's heart swell with _pride_ hearing the praise in Emily's voice. The redhead bade her goodnight, thanking her again before disappearing into her chosen room, and Amélie slowly made her way to her room, feeling warm and proud. She would talk more with Emily tomorrow, something she was looking forward to. The redhead was just as interesting as Lena, and just as interested in Amélie as Amélie was with her. They had a _lot_ to talk about.

Despite missing the comfort of another person, sleep came easily.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be longer, but I haven't had the best few days and halfway through this chapter the strength just kinda left me. Instead of completely giving up I'll just split the chapter for now, and tape them together once the second half is done. It might be a bit tho. I'm only really posting this so I'll hopefully be more motivated to finish it, really. Love writing this but damn it's draining. 
> 
> If anyone wants to suggest names for the kittens I've introduced so far, the three munchkins, feel free to leave them in the comments below! I promise I'll try to do better next time, my brain just didn't want me to get anything done.


	3. A Warm and Lazy Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amélie gets a chance to talk to Emily one on one, and finds that they get along far better than she expected. 
> 
> Or
> 
> Omelettes, the girlfriend talk and bad puns. That's literally all that happens.

  
Amélie always had been and always would be an early riser. She never slept in past nine and was usually up at around seven to start breakfast. Even having Lena cling to her with sleepy determination rarely stopped her from rising with the sun. With Lena asleep in another room, she was able to get up without any fuss, and start getting ready. She felt a lot more rested than she had expected to be, considering she had gotten used to having a little spoon.

She got up, stretched, and made her way to the washroom. She was a little surprised to find it occupied, and even more so when _Lena_ was the one to shuffle out, eyes still mostly closed and clearly on her way back to bed when she noticed Amélie watching her with an amused little smile. She didn’t hesitate to drag herself over to the taller woman for a good morning hug and kiss, burying her face into her shoulder and holding on to her tightly as she swayed sleepily. “G’mornin...” she mumbled, nuzzling her nose as far into the crook of Amelie’s neck as she possibly could.

“ _Bonjour à toi aussi, Lena. Avez-vous bien dormi_?” Amélie murmured back, gently kneading circles between Lena’s shoulder blades and giving her a tender squeeze as the bluenette gave an affirmative grunt. She wasn’t fluent by any means but she had been asked the same thing every day for more than a month and eventually figured it out.

“Making breakfast?” Lena inquired, as Amélie began to slowly half drag, half carry her back to Emily’s room. “Yes, I would like to get started early. Cooking for three will take more time than usual.”

Lena reluctantly let go once they reached the bedroom, pausing for a moment before slipping back inside. “Em’s prolly gonna be down in a bit. She’s really cuddly in the morning so don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She said, smiling blearily as she turned and went inside.

Amélie padded back to the bathroom as Lena closed the door with a soft click, almost certainly planning to sleep for a few more hours. Emily would likely be getting up to check on the smallest residents, if she hadn't earlier in the night. They would no doubt be wanting their own breakfast.

After washing up and slipping on some warm socks and a loose sweater to keep the winter chill at bay, Amélie secured her brace and made her way down to the kitchen. Something different seemed appropriate today, and one _couldn't_ go wrong with omelettes. She knew how Lena liked hers, and if Emily was getting up she would be able to ask. For now, though, she ran a pot of coffee, settled down on the sitting room sofa, and grabbed her tablet to read the news. Her tablet was her biggest link to the outside world, and the only thing keeping her up to speed with what was going on out there. She hadn't left the chateau more than a handful of times in the last two months, and _only_ to get groceries. She didn't care about what went on outside, but it was always good to at least be _aware_ of it.

When she heard Emily's bedroom door open again she turned her head just enough to see the redhead padding into the washroom. She reemerged and, as Lena had predicted, made her way downstairs to the bag she had left by the door to the kitten room. By now Amélie could hear the tiny, impatient noises behind the door and, once Emily entered the room, the kittens began to all but _wail_ their demands for food while attempting to climb up the redhead's leg. Once Emily had set down three bowls of wet cat food and they were all eagerly tucking in, she gathered the empty cans and padded into the kitchen to toss them. Amélie returned her attention to the tablet, lazily looking through the latest gossip and scandals, everything from serious news articles to overblown celebrity rumours. Her focus was only broken when she heard Emily heading back upstairs. _Perhaps she was going back to bed?_ Amélie got up as soon as the door shut, setting her tablet down and pushing herself up. Best get started now, while she had time.

Omelettes were the perfect food when you didn't know what someone liked. Lena had been very sure that Emily wasn't vegetarian, at least not anymore. Wether or not she used to be was a matter for debate. Amélie knew that Lena liked potato chunks in her omelettes and ate them with ketchup, much to her simultaneous fascination and _horror_. While she didn't understand the girl's insistence that she have ketchup, she had come to enjoy the addition of potato to her own omelettes, and she had altered her grocery list accordingly some time before.

As she prepared all of the different ingredients, grated the cheese and got a pot of water boiling she heard someone coming back downstairs, and padding into the kitchen. She didn't usually have to turn to greet Lena, they had come up with their own morning rituals, usually with Lena coming up behind her for a morning hug and having to be _dragged_ around the kitchen. She knew it was Emily when she felt much more _shy_ hands slip around her middle, followed by the redhead's cheek against her shoulder as she leaned on her. _Cuddly indeed._

"Good morning, Emily. Did you sleep well?" Amélie greeted her gently as she finished cutting up the potatoes, dropping them into the pot, and began breaking a few eggs into a bowl. She felt Emily nodding against her back and heard her groggy, "morning..." in reply. She also felt the arms around her waist _tighten_ ever so slightly as the redhead realized she didn't mind being hugged. "Omelettes?" She inquired blearily. " _Oui_ , it's usually pancakes, but I thought something different would be nice. What do you like in yours?" Amélie mixed the whites and yolk as she waited, separating the end product into three bowls, one for each of them.

"Mmm.... onions and peppers?" Emily sounded a little reluctant. "Of course. I think I have some left, I can check if you don't mind releasing me for just a moment." Amélie answered, throwing in a little teasing remark that made the redhead chuckle and seem to relax a bit as she relinquished the former dancer to go investigate the smell of coffee.

"Does Lena still ask for ketchup?" She tossed the question over her shoulder as she poured herself some, and settled into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, mug of plain coffee in hand and still looking very sleepy. "So she had always eaten them like that? Yes, she does." Amélie replied as she pulled out the cutting board and started chopping. She took great pride in her culinary skills even though she didn't use them as often anymore. She had been largely catered to for most of her life and she had hated it once she had broken into her teens and wanted to do things herself. Cooking was one of the things she did on her own no matter what her parents or Gérard said. It was one less thing to worry about, now that she was on her own.

Well....

 _Maybe not so alone_ , she mused as she glanced over her shoulder to see Emily stifling a yawn behind a hand that sported a few cat scratches.

~

"And I just told her everything. It was a mess, honestly, and it involved a lot of crying, but you can see that it worked out in the end. She's _happy_ , I'm happier than I thought I could _possibly_ be after everything."

Emily was nursing her second refill of coffee, empty plate next to her and leaning her head on her hand as she listened to Amélie speak about everything that had transpired that led to the present day. Once Amélie had finished cooking they had inevitably begun small talk while they waited for Lena to get up. Small talk led to conversation led to inevitable _question_. Emily took everything in with an expression of calm understanding, morphing into a small relieved smile at the end. She was easy to read and it came as a great relief to see that she was not in any way jealous or angry.

"So, you're telling me that you've saved my girl not once, but _twice_? You ran for over four miles, two of which you were carrying her, all on a _bad leg?_ And you were _still_ nervous to confess your feelings to her because you weren't sure if she would feel the same?" Emily's smile grew and Amélie could hear the _laughter_ in her voice. The redhead leaned back in her chair and groaned, putting her face in her hands. "God help me, I'm not dating one, but _two_ oblivious women."

Amélie would have been embarrassed, worried she had _offended_ the redhead somehow, had she not been able to hear the amusement in her voice. Embarrassment was also not registering once she stopped reading the emotion in Emily's voice and actually processed her words.

"You've decided, then? It's only been a day..." Her dazed and feeble response was brushed aside as Emily leaned on her hand again, smiling warmly and nodding. "You're genuinely, utterly, stupidly in love with my girl, same as me. You've done more for her than any simple friend would. You're her girlfriend, and mine, if you're ready for it." Emily was practically _radiating_ warmth as she continued, "I know you haven't had very long to consider it, inviting me over was a _huge_ step and if you want to rewind and slow down, by all means do so. You had time to get to know Lena beforehand, and until you feel like you know me well enough to decide, I won't ask for anything. You've done so much for me already, hell, you planned out a bloody _cat paradise_ before I even arrived! You're an _amazing_ person, and the _least_ you deserve is to be in total control of how fast this goes."

_God help me, this is why Lena is in love with her._

"Want me to clean up while you go rouse our bluebird?"

_Our bluebird. Our Lena._

_My girlfriends._

Amelie's chest felt warm and fuzzy as she nodded, "Of course, if you don't mind me entering your room for a few minutes?" The question was met with a snigger as Emily began to gather the plates and cutlery, "I think she migrated to your room after I came down for breakfast." As Amélie padded towards the stairs Emily added, "and you're welcome in my bedroom _anytime_ , lovely!"

That got her a snort of amusement before Amélie was ascending to fetch Lena, who had indeed moved to lie facedown in Amelie's bed, legs hanging off as though she had fallen asleep halfway on.

"Lena, time to get up, _ma belle_..." Amélie crooned as she sat down on the bed and brushed some of Lena's hair out of her eyes, watching her _scrunch_ them tightly shut with a mutinous whimper.

"Lena, I made omelettes, the way you like."

Surprisingly, Lena didn't move. Food was usually a powerful motivator.

Amélie bent over the bluenette, feeling her shift as she pressed a gentle kiss to the shell of her ear, which was followed by a final warning. "Lena, I _will_ swaddle you like a baby and carry you downstairs, clothed or not." Amélie murmured, right into the bluenette's ear. Besides the obvious blush creeping up the back of her neck she still refused to move. She didn't see the grin slowly spread across the frenchwoman's face.

" _I warned you, Chérie_."

Lena's eyes snapped open, but it was too late as Amélie flipped her onto her back, grabbed the edges of the blanket, and promptly wrapped Lena up and scooped her into her arms.

"Amé no not again! I'm up I'm up! Lena protested, kicking and wriggling as best she could while trying not to laugh. Her pleas went ignored as the taller woman carried her struggling girlfriend downstairs and deposited her on Emily's lap. The redhead had burst out laughing the moment she caught sight of the former dancer carrying a bundle of blankets with Lena's head sticking out, laughing so hard that she had needed to sit down. Once Lena was in her arms the teasing started, which Amélie listened to amusedly as she began making Lena's breakfast.

"Looks like you're rather tied up, sweet."

"Em please."

"Quite the bind you find yourself in, huh?"

"Em."

"'Swaddle' I ever do with you, Lena?"

"Oh my god."

"What? Are you saying I'm 'knot' funny?"

"I hate you."

~

By the time Amélie had finished making Lena's breakfast, fetched the ketchup from the fridge, gotten her morning tea ready, and set everything on the table, Lena had managed to work her arms free and was trying her very best to look angry at the both of them. With Emily resting her head on her shoulder while tracing circles against Lena's stomach, and Amélie resting her head on her hand while smiling at the bluenette innocently, it was a losing battle.

"To be fair, I _did_ warn you, ma belle." Amélie purred as Lena tucked into her breakfast, pretending to have not heard her.

"You sound like you've had to do this before." Emily grinned as the blush came back in full force, right up to Lena's ears as she kept pretending to ignore them. Amélie's smile became a mischievous grin, "oh, I have, a few times. Mostly when she was too sick to move and I wanted to keep her warm, but also when she refuses to get up. Once or twice."

Lena gave a grumble and finished mopping up the last of the ketchup with the remainder of her third omelette, letting Amélie take her plate with a begrudging thank you as she wriggled out of Emily's grasp and trotted towards the stairs in her underwear to actually get dressed, still blushing furiously. Emily leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh, finishing her coffee just before Lena returned down the stairs in her usual tights and hoodie, pausing only long enough to stick her tongue out at both of them before she turned and vanished into the kitten room.

"Shall we go check on the little ones?" Amélie said as she finished cleaning, padding towards the kitten room as Emily got up and stretched, "yeah, they're fed and ready to play, let's not keep them waiting. Your children missed you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo I came out of my slump on a flaming train and I cannot be stopped! 
> 
> I can't wait to get into Emily and Amélie getting to know one another and bonding over teasing poor poor Lena!
> 
> I love comments, so please let me know what you thought, what I could improve on, or just point out any typos for me to fix! Hope you enjoyed this full chapter!


	4. The "Joys" of Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Christmas drawing near and Emily away, Lena and Amélie prepare for their first holiday together with just the three of them. Amelie's parents have different plane, however. 
> 
> Or
> 
> Lena rolls in snow.
> 
> Amélie says "fuck" in French.
> 
> Amélie punches a wall.
> 
> Lena gets to be a jet pack.

"Come on Amé we've got so much to do!" Lena called as she dashed ahead of the taller woman, kicking up snow as she went. Amélie was grateful for her intuition, which had given her the idea of getting Lena proper winter attire. Now, with an unusually heavy snowfall for Annecy, she didn't have to worry about Lena getting a cold again. Bundled up in a warm black coat with a new blue and white striped scarf wrapped about her neck ensured that she was safe from the cold. She refused mittens, and Amélie suspected it was because she had helped warm Lena's hands by kissing them _once_ , and now Lena was determined to earn more.

If Lena was to be compared to something, it was a small child on Christmas Eve. She was small enough to be mistaken for a child, definitely, and it was close to the holiday. With Emily away Lena had seemingly realized that this was going to be their first Christmas as a _couple_ (triple? The three of them, screw it.) and had dragged Amélie out of the house to go shopping. The kittens, the remaining ones anyway, only Lucifer and one of his brothers, and the three munchketeers as Lena called them remaining unadopted. It was kind of inevitable that Athena, Blaze and Bastion (Lena named him, and Amélie was unable to bring herself to change it) were Amelie's, she spent every free moment with them and had made it clear that she loved them too much to give away. They were old enough to be alone for a while, and Lena hadn't left the chateau once since the incident, so Amélie had been glad to take her to town. She was, perhaps, regretting just a _bit_ now. They had had quite the list to work through, and it was slow going. Lena had _insisted_ on refreshing her hair now that it had grown a bit, clearly showing chestnut brown roots that she was eager to hide. Amélie agreed, on the condition that Lena dye it back next time so she could get some pictures of her natural color for the album she had bought while Lena was looking at the hairdresser’s across the street with a wistful expression. Lena had agreed happily, and Amélie bought her the ultramarine hair dye to give to the hairdresser when they paid a visit. The look of _bafflement_ on his face as he looked from the tall, neatly dressed and refined Amélie to the short, scruffy and energetic Lena as if trying to figure out if Lena was her _child_ or not was worth the cost of the hair dye.

Emily, having decided to make her stay permanent, had finally left to gather up the reminder of her things from her old apartment, along with whatever was left of Lena's possessions. She had to inform her clients of the move and provide her new address, for her business, as well as say goodbye to friends in the area with the promise to visit. She would be back within the week but her absence had become _immediately_  felt. They _both_ missed her. Lena had suggested buying decorations and presents while she was away to keep it a surprise, something Amélie agreed on wholeheartedly. The stores were busy and Lena had to cling to her arm for dear life but they managed, forging their way through the crowds as best they could. They had gotten most of the gifts in the previous week, but a few surprise gifts couldn't hurt, since they both just wanted to _spoil_ Emily. She was already someone Amélie considered a good friend, someone she trusted, and their little "moments", Emily hugging her every morning when her back was turned, lingering glances and comfortably held hands on movie nights or while they were talking were quickly integrating into Amelie's daily routine like they had always been there. Emily had decided that, if Amélie was comfortable, they would spend Christmas Eve in the same room, and if it worked out, _every_ night after. Lena was growing more and more vocal about hating leaving one of them to sleep with the other, having to choose. She was most content when they all fell asleep on the couch after a movie, so she could have them _both_ for the night. Christmas was just a week away, and Lena was practically _vibrating_ with excitement.

"That's everything! Let's get home and make some cider!" Amélie had to resist rolling her eyes; Lena's sweet tooth was _insatiable_. Her kitchen was crammed with enough candy canes and chocolate to feed a small army and Lena still had room for cider. She adored the girl, she really did, but her sugar fixation was a little bit terrifying.

"How's your leg Amé?" Lena inquired as she finished loading their purchases into the car, plopping down next to the former dancer and stretching up for a kiss as she closed the door. Amélie hummed against her in reply, reaching around the smaller woman to fasten her seatbelt before replying.

"Sore, but I'm fine. We shouldn't have to go out again before Christmas, so I will have plenty of time to rest." She pressed a kiss to Lena's temple when the smaller woman leaned on her, already pulling the scarf off to more easily cuddle up to the Frenchwoman. Things were _perfect_. She hadn't felt this content in a very long time. Everything was going right for once, and she didn't have to worry about being alone this year.

Lena was well on her way to dozing off when Amélie's phone buzzed, startling her back into wakefulness. Not many people called or texted the former dancer, not that she seemed to mind. Lena didn't need to unless she was spamming pictures of the kittens to Amélie, and Emily didn't need to because they were usually within talking distance and she was communicating through Lena's phone for the duration of her trip. Many of her old acquaintances had lost interest an stopped talking to her after the accident, which didn't bother her very much. Once they had shown their true colours she found them to be unpleasant to talk to anyway. That left....

Her parents. Amélie had corrected Lena when the younger woman assumed they were deceased, simply replying that they were just _busy people_ , who honestly had better business skills than parenting skills. Her mother meant well and had been in semi-routine contact with Amélie since the accident, but her father had yet to even _acknowledge_ that it had even happened. _Neither_ had visited her in the hospital, a fact that made Lena bristle angrily. She didn't care that they were extremely busy, simply saying, "family is the most important thing, Amé, if they don't see it that way then they don't _deserve_ to be parents."

Amélie pulled out her phone and sighed at the amount of messages. Her parents had begun to contact her as was tradition when Christmas was near, but this year they were insisting that they come visit, which would almost certainly end in disaster. If her father found out that his daughter was not just already dating again after "just one year", but that she was dating two people, two women! Oh he would be _furious_. She wasn't certain how her mother would react, though she doubted it would help even if she was supportive. Her father was a strict, cold, military-type man who could be quite cruel at times. He would not take Amélie's choice well at all, and her mother never said anything that might upset him.

Lena must have noticed her exasperated sigh, because she wrapped an arm around the taller woman as she inquired softly, "Your folks again? They still going on about visiting?" She knew, she had listened to Amélie rant as she paced back and forth across the kitchen like a caged tiger, half enraged and half _panicked_. She held her after her anger dissolved into fear of how they would react, and heartbreak from knowing exactly what would happen. Once Emily found them she didn't hesitate to settle down on her other side and join in hugging Amélie until she was too _tired_ to cry anymore. They had watched a random television show until they all fell asleep tangled together on the sitting room sofa, the first time they had done so and not the last. Emily's almost supernatural ability to calm people around her was a balm to Amélie's frayed nerves, something she missed already.

"What do I even tell them? 'Sorry papa but I only have enough rooms prepared for my two girlfriends and I have already occupied the master bedroom. By the way I'm dating two people.'" She leaned back in the seat with a groan. She was tired, her head hurt.

"Seems like a good night for a movie innit? I'll warm up that nifty bean bag thing Emily got you for your leg and we'll watch something with the kids." Lena soothed as the taller woman deflated, getting a relieved nod before Amélie leaned against her and they fell into a comfortable silence.

———————————————————-

"Y'know, if you'da told me that this sofa pulls out we coulda enjoyed movie night a whole lot more. I kinda hate you for that." Lena mumbled as Amélie sat down on the pull out, expertly balancing a bowl of cheese puffs in one hand and using her free arm to cradle three very sleepy munchkins. Lena was right, she had completely forgotten that the sofa was also a pull out bed until she felt the springs against her back, and hastily made the suggestion that led to Lena sprawled on the squeaky mattress feigning anger.

"I honestly forgot about it until now, but we can enjoy it now that I've remembered, _Oui_?" Amélie soothed, as she settled down and grabbed the remote to press play. They had taken a break when Amélie had finally had enough of her parents' persistent texts and thoughtlessly replied in an effort to shut them up.

" _I cannot accommodate visitors right now, papa, I have made plans with my girlfriends and am not going to change them now. I'll see you next year_."

She knew that by refusing to accommodate them, along with bluntly declaring why, she was basically lighting the fuse to a whole pile of dynamite, but she felt that she had to stand up for herself at some point, and it was better to fight it out now than later. She suspected that she would be exchanging verbal fire with her father tonight, for most of the night, but for now she relaxed, enjoying her time with Lena and her little ones. Lena had insisted that they watch another classic, the third in the trilogy of movie series that they had been exploring. Having finished The Hobbit and subsequently The Lord of the Rings, followed by Harry Potter, that left The Pirates of the Carribean, a series that Lena describes as, "a flaming train-wreck but in a good way." It was certainly interesting, and Amélie had to agree with Lena's assessment after finishing the first movie. While Lena set up the second, Amélie checked her phone, and let out an audible _growl_ of frustration as she sat up.

"That bad huh?" Lena asked as she sat back down, muting the television. Amélie let out a loud, angry sigh and nodded. "Wait here. I will only be a moment."

Lena's expression was one of justifiable concern, but she nodded and took the munchkins so Amélie could stand and make her way to the far side of the room, dialling as she went.

Lena often repeated a phrase she went by during her pilot days, "Expect the worst and hope for the best." It seemed a fitting motto now as Amélie leaned on the wall with an expression of frustration on her face. When it quickly became one of _anger_ Lena assumed her father had picked up. The rapid, angry lapse into French served as confirmation.

" _Bonjour père, nous devons parler."_

_"Père s'il te plait laisse moi-"_

_"si tu voulais juste-!"_

Lena had briefly turned her attention to Bastion, who was biting her finger in a bid for attention, and they both startled when Amélie suddenly _shouted_ into the phone angrily.

" _FERMEZ VOTRE BOUCHE POUR UNE FOIS PÈRE!_ "

Amélie was _seething_ , whatever her father had said had clearly enraged her. She was gripping the phone so hard that her knuckles were white, free hand clenched as though trying to quell the urge to _hit_ something. When she spoke again she was quieter, but it was impossible to ignore the _dangerous_ tone of her voice.

" _Non, vous me laisserez parler. Je suis une femme adulte, je peux choisir pour moi-même."_

_"Je me fiche de que tu aies déjà acheté des billets, je ne t'accueille pas avec mes filles."_

_"Parce que ce sont mes amies, mon père, putain!_ "

Lena had wisely put the kittens back, as all of them were fluffed up in shock at the volume of Amélie's voice, which turned out to be the right decision. No sooner than she closed the door Amélie let loose another _angry tirade_.

" _DÉMARREZ-MOI ALORS. CELA NE DEVRAIT PAS ÊTRE DURE, VOUS NE VOUS AVEZ PAS PRIS SOIN DE ME RENDRE VISITE AVANT."_

 _"Je tiens plus à mes filles qu'à votre opinion._ "

Amelie's voice dropped _dangerously_ low, her eyes narrowing as she let out a humourless laugh.

" _Très bien. J'ai fini de parler avec toi. Tu n'es pas le bienvenu ici, et tu peux dire à la mère que ça ne me dérange pas. Tu aurais pu être civile, maintenant, fais face aux conséquences._ "

Lena was ready to comfort her girlfriend, she was ready for the anger, but she didn't expect the taller woman to lob her phone at the wall with an angry yell. Amélie only ever got annoyed, never this angry, besides when she had yelled during the incident. It was rather _terrifying_ , honestly, and Lena hesitated despite knowing that Amélie would never hurt her. She knew that Amélie struggled without her career, not so much anymore but the need to impress her parents made it worse. She had been bottling up her frustration since the first text from her father, but it seemed as though she couldn't contain it anymore.

When the former dancer, now without a phone to take her anger out on, decided to introduce her fist to the wall, however, Lena reacted immediately. "Whoah, _easy_ love! You're gonna bust your hand open!" She wrapped her arms around Amélie as soon as she was close enough, pinning her arms to her sides before she could hit the wall again and possibly hurt her hand. Amélie went rigid, before _sagging_ in the smaller woman's arms with a groan and a soft sob.

"It's ok luv, walk with me, that's it, just back to the pull out." Lena soothed, carefully walking Amélie back over to the pull out bed. Amélie seemed to deflate once they were properly lying down again, and Lena was inspecting the damage to her hand. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, Lena had done a lot _worse_ to herself by punching something that ought not be punched. The bruising around her knuckles would _hurt_ , certainly, but she hadn't split them open, thankfully.

"It's gonna be fine, Amé. Me and Em'll make sure this is the best Christmas ever. You won't even _remember_ that they called once we start decorating and making sweets and decorating gingerbread." She crooned, and when Amélie didn't look entirely convinced she added, in a lower, more _serious_ voice, "and if he shows up I'll sock 'im right in the _gob_."

Amélie felt _miserable_ , turning away her parents, despite how ignorant her father was being, but the remark made her snigger a little. "What? I'm an army girl, I can take him. I'll _fight_ him, swear I will!" Lena insisted, before she began pressing soft kisses to Amelie's bruised hand. By the time she finished and had kissed her way up the frenchwoman's arm to her face, Amélie looked _far_ more relaxed.

"Wanna go hit the hay, luv? Have an early night? I'll feed the kids, you go get settled in and I'll be right up." Lena murmured, pressing a kiss to Amelie's forehead and feeling her nod softly in agreement.

  
———————————————————-

The lights were off by the time Lena got to the bedroom, save for the dying embers of the fire. Amélie, evidently, was too tired to add another log, which was unusual, but understandable considering the conversation she had just had with her father. Lena knew that she preferred being _warm_ , however, so she took the time to add a few logs and coax the fire back to life before dressing down for bed. Keeping the fire lit, especially during winter, kept the normally _frigid_ master bedroom comfortably warm. The chateau was old and, while it had basic heating, the warmth didn't reach certain areas. Lena preferred a warm and sleepy Amélie over a cold and grumpy Amélie.

She felt the older woman shift as she clambered into bed, letting out a bleary but _contented_ mumble as Lena took over the role of big spoon for the night. It only took a few minutes for the taller woman to sink back into sleep as Lena pressed lazy kisses to her neck and shoulder, taking her time admiring her girlfriend in the firelight before joining her in blissful slumber.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEEEEZE 
> 
> I've been so caught up with family stuff I'm so sorry. I also went to my first therapist appointment so I'm exhausted but I promised myself I'd get this done today and by golly I am a woman of my word!
> 
> I would put translations but Google ate the, and I'm too lazy to copy them to google again, and paste the probably botched translation. If I find the time I'll do it I promiseTvT
> 
> Let me know, as always, what you think of the chapter, what you liked, didn't like, what you thought I should change, or even just making suggestions, I love reading all y'all's comments! Kudos are great and all but the comments MMMMMMM THATS THE GOOD SHIT.


	5. Fragile Starling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily returns and enjoys an afternoon with Amélie, soothing her and encouraging her.

  
When Emily returned a few days later, she found Amélie asleep on the couch, still pulled out, and Lena in the process of wriggling free. Amélie was, and always would be a light sleeper, but she seemed to actually be _completely_ asleep, and Lena’s wriggling did little to rouse her. Lena didn’t notice Emily until she was free and had finished struggling into her hoodie, turning and choking on a _squeak_ of surprise and glancing back at Amélie reflexively. Finding her still asleep, some of the tension bled out of her shoulders and she let out a sigh of relief, before she turned back to hug the redhead tightly.

“Missed you. We _both_ missed you.” She mumbled into her neck, giving her a squeeze, before she let her go to take one of the bags in her arms. “Got everything?”

“My computer, tablet, your model airplanes, and everything else.” She confirmed, "everything fit in the car thank god, and the fee for extra luggage wasn't too bad. How's Amé?" She set her other bag down, her brow furrowing as she got a good look at the sleeping woman.

Amélie looked _exhausted_. Her hair, having been in a messy braid, was partially undone and there were dark circles under her eyes.

“Her folks haven’t left her alone since they found out about us. She’s been wound up for _days_.” Lena answered, “She got in a huge fight with him over the phone a few days ago, she hasn’t been happy since. I tried my best to distract her but nothing seemed to work.” Lena sighed, rubbing the back of her neck before joining Emily in watching their girlfriend sleep, “this is the first time I’ve managed to get her to actually sleep since it started. I was gonna go work on painting but I don’t really want to leave her alone...” Lena was biting her lip as she fidgeted with the hem of her hoodie, looking torn between lying back down and renovating to take her mind off the stress.

“Go do some painting Sweet, I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.” Emily soothed, pressing a kiss to Lena’s temple before taking a few steps towards the stairs, “I’ll just set these down and we can worry about unpacking later. I’ll keep our poor starling company.”

Lena, looking relieved and grateful, trotted off to get to work, and Emily wasted no time, tiptoeing up the stairs as quietly as she possibly could and avoiding the three steps that she knew creaked. She could unpack later. She set her armful of things by the bed in her room and slipped her sweater off, before making the decision to just change into her usual sleepwear. She would be lying down in a moment, may as well assume she’d be getting some shuteye as well. A soft grey tank top and even softer boyshorts she knew Lena adored later, long red hair quickly arranged into a loose braid, she padded back downstairs. Amélie was still dead asleep, and she _barely_ stirred when Emily sat on the edge of the pullout.

“Poor thing..." She crooned, gently tucking a lock of long dark hair behind the sleeping woman's ear, before leaning down to press a soft kiss to her temple. Amélie groaned and shifted, and she seemed to quickly notice Lena's absence, letting out a soft groan of protest.

“Shhhhh, it’s ok, sweet, I’m here.” Emily soothed, gently running her fingers through Amélie’s hair to get it completely out of its braid. The drowsy woman leaned into the touch, scrunching her eyes shut. Emily had never seen her so _miserable_ and _exhausted_.

“Lena...?”

“She went to go do some painting, so I’m here to keep you company. Feel like a cuddle Amé?” She smiled when the taller woman finally forced one eye open and looked up at her blearily. She seemed to consider for a moment, before she mumbled something inaudible and raised an arm for Emily to wiggle under. “ _Daccord_...”

Amélie didn’t waste any time falling asleep again, burying her nose into the crook of Emily’s neck with a groan. If she was in any way uncomfortable she showed no sign of it. She was probably too tired to think about much of anything.

“Look at you, poor thing.” Emily murmured as she began to run her fingers through Amélie’s hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head when she _tightened_ her arms around the redhead and nuzzled her neck sleepily. It seemed that she wasn’t completely asleep after all.

“Do you want to talk about it, pet? Catch me up on what’s got you so stressed out?” Emily inquired, once she was certain that Amélie was indeed awake, or at least awake enough to comprehend what she was saying. Amélie was silent for a moment but nodded against her neck, before pulling back just enough for them to lay facing each other.

“Lena’s told me a bit, but she hasn’t told me anything in detail. Just that you were married before and that your parents are being “right pricks”.” Amélie let out a weak chuckle in response, before she made a noise of confirmation, “ _Oui_ , I have been having a disagreement with my father. He is, hmm, how do I put this, very old fashioned and stubborn. He hates when things do not go his way. The only decision I have ever made that he approved of was agreeing to marry my late husband.” She tucked one arm under her pillow to get more comfortable, before continuing. “Gérard was a good man, but he and I were never more than good friends. He was gay but not public about it, and we thought that we could pretend to be happy, just be friends that were also married. It certainly kept our relatives happy, but it quickly turned out to be a mistake. My father wouldn’t have agreed to separation if I suggested it, and while we did get along there was no fulfillment in our lives. We were both lonely and we had put ourselves in an impossible position. After the accident and Lena, my father found out about her. He didn’t make too much of a fuss until you arrived and I let slip that I was seeing the both of you. _Romantically_.”

Emily made a soft sound of encouragement as Amélie hesitated. “Go on, pet. I’m listening.” Amélie nodded and sighed. The constant arguments and anxiety had _visibly_ worn her down.

“He has a very specific opinion on marriage. He isn’t against me seeing you in the traditional sense. He is of the belief that one only finds one love in their life, and he, unaware of me and Gérard not actually being in love, thinks that he was my one love. To put it bluntly, he wants me to spend the rest of my life as a widow and avoid any other relationships that would be “an insult to my true lover’s memory”. We’ve been fighting back and forth for the past week and I suppose it has taken a toll on me.” Amélie closed her eyes with a sigh, looking very small in that moment. Enough so that Emily once again drew her close and began peppering the former dancer’s forehead with soft butterfly kisses. “I am worried that he will actually show up and try to ruin things. I made him aware that I have no available room for him or my mother but as stubborn as he is I wouldn’t put it past him to arrive at the last minute.”

Emily felt nothing but sympathy for the poor woman. She was already having to adjust to their new relationship, something that she hadn’t even known could exist in a healthy form until Lena informed her. She had to mind her injury even more now, and after the incident she would probably need the brace _permanently_. She had enough to deal with, and this just sounded _cruel_. She deserved a nice Christmas without having to worry about anything besides herself.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, sweet, if your dad does show up me and Lena can handle him. Let’s just focus on decorating for Christmas.” Emily reassured, “Lena _loves_ this time of year. She’s going to have a great time making cookies and decorating gingerbread houses with us. I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

Amélie didn’t say anything, she was probably drifting off again, but Emily felt her nodding against her neck.

———————————————

Once Amélie had gotten a few more hours rest, and had finally dragged herself upstairs for a shower, Emily got dinner started while Lena helped. At least she _tried_ to help. Emily had learned very early on that if Lena wasn’t making instant-ramen, pancakes, or some sort of fry up, it would most likely end in disaster and a considerable amount of fire. Thus, Lena’s help was mostly in the form of her sitting in the kitchen distracting Emily constantly. It was something that the redhead had grown to love about Lena, despite how _annoying_ it could get sometimes.

“And that’s why Lucifer’ll never get adopted. He keeps biting people.” Lena finished her recounting of her attempts to get the temperamental long haired kitten a forever home. It wasn’t looking good. Emily had already prepared herself in case she had to release Lucifer to join a feral cat colony. It was becoming more and more likely. He just didn’t seem to have what it took to be a housecat.

She had just finished setting out their food -she had _promised_ Lena spaghetti the day she left, and she was a woman of her word- when Amélie returned from upstairs, blinking blearily but _smiling_. She seemed to have regained some of her strength.

“That looks _wonderful_ , Emily. You will have to show me which recipe you use next time.” She sank into her seat and leaned back for a moment, just watching Lena already digging into her own helping greedily. One of her favourite things to do, Emily had quickly learned, was simply to watch Lena and enjoy her presence. Lena was unique in that she _commanded_ attention without meaning to, and Amélie clearly enjoyed giving her all the attention she could handle. Once they all settled in they made small talk, nothing too heavy, mostly just planning the last few days before Christmas. Decorating, cooking, and trying to find the last adoptable kitten a home were high on the list. The task that took _priority_ , however, at least according to Emily, was that Amélie focussed on enjoying herself rather than family trouble. Whatever happened happened, and they could handle whatever problems arose _together_. 


	6. Sometimes You Just Need a Fire, Three Girlfriends and a Huga Ass Bed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short interlude. Lena has a moment of weakness and Emily tells Amélie the truth of the a tragedy Lena endured. They sleep together for the first time.

 

Three days before Christmas, the calls stopped. Her father, normally unyielding in his intention, seemed to fall off the face of the earth. To call his daughter suspicious would have been an _understatement_. She even tried to contact her mother, to no avail. Her phone must be turned off. She tried to convince herself that, having failed to convince her to have them over, her father had simply redirected his energy into work. He had to be away on business, right? Why else would they turn their phones off?

~

“It’s ok, Lena.”

Amélie woke up to soft _sobbing_ and Emily trying to soothe. The sound of Lena’s desperate sobs were enough to put her into a state of _panic_ and she vaulted out of bed and made it to the door just in time to open it for the two. Lena was looking at the floor, her shoulders _shaking_ as she cried. Emily was gently rubbing her back, murmuring to her in an attempt to comfort her. When Amélie gently pulled the bluenette forward the girl went without protest, letting herself be engulfed in a warm hug and nestling her head under Amélie's chin.

"She had a nightmare. One of the bad ones, about the crash."

Emily was gently rubbing Lena's back when Amélie returned with tea for all three of them and set it next to the fire where the two were sitting.

"She told me about that. Said that the only one who got hurt was her. She acted like it was nothing but I've always worried about how it affected her." Amélie replied as she gave Emily her tea, then offered Lena's to her. The younger woman slowly accepted the offered cup, still visibly distraught and hiccuping.

"That's the version she tells everyone."

Amélie didn't know how to process that.

"You mean...?"

Emily sighed and took a sip of her tea before she turned her attention to Lena.

"Is it ok if I tell her, sweet? I'll take her into the next room so you don't have to listen."

Lena nodded meekly, her eyes fixed on her cup as Emily gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before getting up. Amélie pressed a kiss of her own to Lena's temple before she got up and followed the redhead out of the room and into the hall.

Lena's old room was still empty and under renovation but the walls were soundproof enough. Emily closed the door behind the taller woman and sighed heavily, crossing her arms and _fidgeting_ before she started.

"Lena doesn't tell people what _really_ happened that day. It wasn't her fault at all, that part is still true, but the aftermath was far worse than she admits."

She paused to take a sip of her tea, before continuing, "The other pilot did accidentally nudge her and she did over correct, but when she lost control she ended up knocking two other pilots out of formation and all four of them went down. Lena survived, but the other three died on impact."

Amélie felt her stomach _lurch_. She couldn't _imagine_ living with that guilt. Even if that guilt was misplaced it had to weigh Lena down like a rusty anchor, dragging her back down into the darkness.

When Emily continued Amélie had to shake herself out of her daze to listen. "It was clearly the first pilot's fault. He wasn't _half_ as experienced as the others, he was only there because his parents were rich entitled pricks who used their wealth to put him in a group he couldn't hope to keep up with. They tried to sue the RAF and Lena for everything, and Lena wasn't even out of her coma yet. She was _barely_ clinging on and they wanted to strip her of _everything_."

Midway through her explanation Emily had set her tea down, hugging herself as she talked as her body began to _tremble_. Amélie could imaging her _grief_ , her fear as she sat beside her lover in the hospital and watching her _fight_ for her life. All while knowing that Lena was in danger of losing everything or worse, facing jail time for a rich boy's mistake. Amélie found herself moving forward, her own tea abandoned as she swept the redhead into a tight hug, halting her storytelling to comfort her and press soft kisses into her sleep-tousled hair. She felt Emily _shiver_ , then she returned the embrace, nuzzling her head into the crook of the taller woman's neck with a watery sigh.

"She didn't even have to attend the court hearing, she won before she even woke up. There was so much camera footage and eyewitness accounts proving her innocence that the entire court turned on the parents. Even the families of the other two knew that Lena wouldn't make that kind of error. They lost most of their money fighting the ruling for years, and Lena was honourably discharged."

Amélie gently swayed back and forth as Emily talked, still nestled against her and hugging her tightly. "Lena just.... Shut down. She feels so much _guilt_ when she couldn't have done _anything_ to stop what happened."

Amélie nodded understandingly, feeling Emily huddle _closer_ in response, letting out a soft murmur of thanks.

"How much did she tell you about her injuries?"

Oh.

_Oh no._

"Emily... _No_. No they _cannot_ be worse than what she told me. _Please_ tell me they aren't worse."

Emily seemed to _deflate_ at the desperate tone in the taller woman's voice.

"Her left lung had to be removed a few days after the crash, and when they operated they found a piece of shrapnel they hadn't seen before, and while they removed it it nicked her aorta and...." Emily _sagged_ in her arms with a _sob_. "She should be _dead_. She should have _died_ right there on the operating table but.... If there's a God, he smiled down on Lena Oxton that day. The moment her heart was damaged an ambulance arrived with a victim of a serious car accident, and she had died at the scene. Somehow, God I have no idea how Lena got so _lucky_.... But they were the same blood type and close in age. The doctors weren't even prepared to do a heart transplant that day but my god, they did it anyway. And Lena.... She pulled through like the _miracle_ she is and...."

By now they were sitting, Amélie cradling the redhead as she finally just broke down and _sobbed_ into her shoulder. Amélie knew that she should feel heartbroken but, strangely, all she felt was so utterly, completely _proud_ of Lena and so grateful for the incredible _luck_ that had graced her life.

Emily cried for some time, almost falling asleep once it was over, leaning heavily on the taller woman as she stood them both up.

"Let's go see our miracle, and let her know that we _love_ her more than anything in this world, yes?"

Emily chuckled weakly as the taller woman guided her back to her room, where Lena seemed to have calmed herself down enough to try and act like nothing had happened.

"I guess Em told ya the whole thing then?" She said weakly as they sat down on either side of her, and Lena happily accepted being smooshed between them as they both came in for a hug.

"She did. It doesn't change how much I love you. Not at all."

Lena let out a soft sigh and nodded, "Was a bit worried when I heard Em cryin'."

"I just had a hard time telling the story, pet. Nothing to worry about. Feel like you can sleep now?"

Lena nodded, then mumbled against Amelie's shoulder, "Only if you're both with me."

Amélie smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Lena's head and gave Emily a reassuring nod. "I think that can be arranged. Just let me add a few logs to the fire while you two settle in."

Lena let Emily pull her up by her hands and guide her to the bed, keeping one arm wrapped around her shoulders. Lena looked _exhausted_ , and she would probably be asleep before Amélie even got back into bed.

The former dancer rose and took a few logs from the small pile next to the hearth, carefully sliding them into the fire before she grabbed the poker and spent a few minutes coaxing them to light.

When she laid down again Emily was still awake, spooned comfortably to Lena's back and stroking her hair with a gentle smile. Lena was, as Amélie predicted, already dozing off. When Amélie slid under the sheets to join them Lena let out a soft _whimper_ and grabbed for her, pulling the taller woman to her and clinging on tightly.

"We're both here, Lena. Get some sleep, we'll keep you safe." Emily murmured, and Lena let out a happy sigh as she nestled her head under Amelie's chin and fell silent. Her breathing slowly evened out and she quickly fell asleep.

"I know I've already told you, but I'm glad she met you, Amélie." Emily murmured as she met the other woman's eyes with a tired smile. When she gently cupped Amélie's cheek the former dancer hummed, turning her head to lean into the contact. Her hand was _warm_ and when the redhead leaned forward Amélie didn't hesitate to do the same, resting their foreheads together and chuckling as Lena made a soft noise in her sleep.

"Goodnight Emily."

"Sweet dreams, sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, sweet snippet that I just finished that nicely ties up a few things and reveals a lot that people have been wanting to know. 
> 
> Lena is the luckiest human being on the planet. 
> 
> Comments are appreciated! I love talking to y'all and getting advice on what I can improve on!


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